But now, on a 3-1 run (with a split-decision defeat to upcoming title challenger Eddie Wineland), Pickett hopes for bigger fights against big-name opponents – like Michael McDonald.

“I actually would like to fight someone ranked above me for once,” he said after the fight. “I always get people below me. Maybe somebody like Michael McDonald would be a good fight. Anyone above me. Give me somebody above me.”

McDonald, meanwhile, remains unbooked. Most recently, the 22-year-old slugger suffered a submission loss to Barao in UFC on FUEL TV 7’s headliner, but he awaits an opponent who can keep him at the top of the division. Pickett, in fact, first targeted the youngster as a potential opponent this past year. With both fighters willing to trade leather, Pickett believes it’d produce a compelling matchup.

Of course, the Englishman isn’t looking for a simple slugfest. As he learned against Easton, whom a judge gifted a winning score despite Pickett’s clear victory, a well-balanced attack can pay dividends.

“In the last fight (against Wineland), everyone said I was one-dimensional,” he said after the fight. “This time, I looked to change and mix things up. I think it went well for me tonight.”

For now, though, Pickett looks forward to a small vacation. He’s getting married later this year, and with a $60,000 “Fight of the Night” bonus in his pocket, he plans to pamper his wife-to-be.

“I’m getting married at the end of this year, so that really helps me out a lot because my fiance is quite expensive,” he said.

A total of 26 fighters got their chance to shine on Saturday as part of UFC 190 at Rio de Janeiro’s HSBC Arena. Now that UFC 190 is in the books, it’s time to commence MMAjunkie’s “Three Stars” ceremony.

The man known for cranking submissions to the point of injury added eye-gouging to his repertoire. But is the controversy of Rousimar Palhares too essential to his bizarre, awful appeal for his employers to take any meaningful action against him?